Pricing is the single variable in your cleaning business that you have the most control over and that most sole traders get most wrong. Not because they're bad at maths — but because they price against what the market seems to accept rather than what their business actually needs to be viable.
This guide covers what UK cleaning businesses are actually charging in 2026, broken down by sector and region, and how to interpret those numbers in the context of your own cost structure.
Why pricing is the single biggest lever in a cleaning business
Underpricing is endemic in cleaning. A survey of self-employed cleaners consistently shows headline rates that look reasonable but leave almost nothing after costs are properly accounted for.
The reason is simple: most sole traders calculate their rate based on what they need to earn per hour of work done — but they don't fully account for the hours they don't bill. Every hour spent invoicing, chasing payments, quoting, driving to enquiries, buying supplies, managing clients, or responding to messages is an hour that doesn't appear on any invoice. If you work 40 hours a week but only 28 of those are billable cleaning hours, and you charge £15/hr, your effective hourly rate is £15 × 28 ÷ 40 = £10.50/hr before any costs.
Then subtract: mileage at HMRC's approved rate of 45p per mile (easily £30–£60/week for a busy domestic cleaner). Materials — cloths, chemicals, vacuum bags — roughly £10–£20/week. Public liability insurance — typically £150–£400/year. Business admin software, phone, accounting. Income tax and National Insurance on your profits.
What £15/hr looks like after costs:
28 billable hours × £15 = £420 gross/week
Less: mileage £45 · materials £15 · insurance pro-rata £7 · software/phone £5 = £72 costs
Net before tax: £348/week
Income tax + Class 4 NI at basic rate (approx 29%): £101
Take-home: £247/week for 40 hours of total work = £6.17/hr effective rate.
The National Living Wage is £12.21/hr. You are working for roughly half of what you would legally have to pay an employee.
This is not a hypothetical. It is the reality for a significant proportion of domestic cleaners in the UK who priced themselves in 2020–2022 and have not raised rates since. The benchmarks below represent where the market is — your floor should be substantially above the bottom of each range.
Residential cleaning rates by region 2025
The following ranges are indicative of what independent domestic cleaners are charging across the UK in 2026 for regular domestic cleaning, deep cleaning and end-of-tenancy cleans. These are not what agencies charge — agency rates are typically higher because the agency takes a cut. If you're an independent sole trader, these are your competitive comparables.
| Region | Standard hourly | Deep clean hourly | End of tenancy (per bed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (Inner) | £18–£25 | £25–£35 | £80–£140 |
| London (Outer) | £15–£20 | £22–£30 | £70–£110 |
| South East | £14–£18 | £20–£28 | £65–£100 |
| South West | £13–£17 | £18–£25 | £55–£90 |
| Midlands | £13–£16 | £18–£24 | £50–£85 |
| North West | £12–£16 | £17–£23 | £50–£80 |
| Yorkshire | £12–£15 | £16–£22 | £48–£78 |
| North East | £11–£15 | £15–£21 | £45–£72 |
| Scotland | £12–£16 | £17–£23 | £48–£78 |
| Wales | £11–£15 | £15–£21 | £45–£72 |
The bottom of every range is where the market-rate race-to-the-bottom sits. It is worth noting that in every region, the bottom of the standard rate range is at or near the 2025 National Living Wage of £12.21/hr — meaning some cleaners are pricing their services at a level that, after costs, leaves them earning less than NLW. The top of each range represents experienced, well-reviewed operators who have built a reputation and maintained pricing discipline.
End-of-tenancy pricing per bedroom is a useful benchmark but heavily influenced by property condition and what's included. Prices shown assume an unfurnished or lightly furnished property in average condition with professional oven cleaning included. Heavily soiled properties should command a premium of 25–50%.
Commercial cleaning rates 2025
Commercial cleaning is typically priced differently from domestic — by square footage, by contract frequency, or by hours per visit with an agreed scope. The following gives a framework for common commercial scenarios.
Office cleaning — per sq ft per month
Office cleaning specification and pricing varies widely by frequency, hours and what's included. A common way to compare is cost per square foot per month:
| Specification | London | Major regional city | Smaller towns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily (5x/week), standard | £0.08–£0.12/sq ft/mo | £0.06–£0.09/sq ft/mo | £0.05–£0.08/sq ft/mo |
| 3x/week, standard | £0.05–£0.08/sq ft/mo | £0.04–£0.07/sq ft/mo | £0.03–£0.06/sq ft/mo |
| Weekly, standard | £0.02–£0.04/sq ft/mo | £0.02–£0.03/sq ft/mo | £0.015–£0.03/sq ft/mo |
Typical weekly contract values
| Office size | Frequency | Typical weekly contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | 2x/week | £40–£80/week | Small business, serviced office |
| 1,000 sq ft | 3x/week | £90–£150/week | Mid-size SME office |
| 2,000 sq ft | Daily | £220–£380/week | Larger office, usually requires staff |
Out-of-hours premium: Many commercial clients want cleaning done before 8am or after 6pm. Out-of-hours working typically commands a 15–25% premium on the standard rate — this should be reflected in your quote, not absorbed as a margin reduction.
Direct client vs. managed premises: Cleaning a building directly contracted by a business owner gives you better margin than cleaning a managed premises through a facilities management company. FM companies typically want 15–30% below standard market rates and pay on 60-day terms. Factor this in when evaluating FM opportunities against direct client work.
Exterior cleaning pricing 2025
Exterior cleaning — windows, gutters, jet washing, fascias, solar panels — is typically priced per job rather than per hour, which gives experienced operators the ability to earn at a substantially higher effective hourly rate than domestic cleaning.
| Service | Typical price range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Window clean (per visit, regular) | £8–£15 per house | Terraced/semi; experienced operators with large rounds earn well per hour |
| Window clean (first/one-off clean) | £15–£30 per house | Heavily soiled; extra time required; do not price at regular rate |
| Gutter clear (standard semi) | £60–£120 | Higher for detached, bungalows, or where access is difficult |
| Gutter clear (detached, 2 storey) | £100–£180 | Price reflects time and equipment required, not just access |
| Driveway jet wash | £80–£200 | Varies by size; block paving takes longer than tarmac or concrete |
| Patio jet wash | £60–£150 | Size-dependent; typically faster per sq ft than block paving |
| Fascia, soffit & guttering clean | £150–£400 | Full exterior detail; price reflects full property coverage |
| Solar panel clean | £4–£8 per panel | Minimum charges apply; access adds cost; growing demand |
| Conservatory roof clean | £100–£250 | Varies by size and type; polycarbonate vs glass affects method |
The window cleaning round model is worth examining separately. An experienced window cleaner with a well-managed round of 200+ properties, charging £10–£12 per house on a four-weekly cycle, can complete 15–25 jobs per day and achieve an effective hourly rate of £35–£60/hr during peak round days. This is why exterior cleaning at scale is significantly more profitable than domestic hourly rates suggest.
Specialist and premium services
Specialist cleaning commands premium rates because clients are typically less price-sensitive — they have a specific need with a defined urgency, and quality matters more than cost.
| Service | Typical range | Driver of variance |
|---|---|---|
| End of tenancy (1 bed) | £120–£200 | Condition, inclusions, location |
| End of tenancy (2 bed) | £180–£300 | As above; also whether carpets included |
| End of tenancy (3 bed) | £250–£400 | Full deep clean specification required |
| Deep clean (domestic, one-off) | +40–60% on standard hourly rate | Hours required; property condition; inclusions |
| Post-construction clean | £200–£800+ | Typically quoted per job; dust, adhesive, plaster debris add time |
| New-build sparkle clean | £150–£500 | Priced by property size; developer contracts available at volume |
| After-party / event clean | £120–£400 | Size and condition; overnight or early morning rates apply |
End-of-tenancy cleaning is the most commonly sought specialist service for domestic cleaners. A key point: these jobs should include a professional oven clean as standard (or be priced as an add-on at £40–£80). Tenants and landlords expect ovens to be included, and trying to exclude it causes friction. Price it in from the start.
Calculating your minimum viable rate
Benchmarks show you what the market pays. Your cost floor shows you what you need. The gap between the two is your pricing freedom. If the market floor and your cost floor are the same number, you have no margin for error.
To calculate your minimum viable rate, add up all your business costs for a typical week and divide by your billable hours:
- Labour: If you're the sole operator, this is your own time at the rate you need to earn after tax. Decide what you want to take home per year — say £28,000. After income tax and NI, you need roughly £36,000 gross profit before tax. That's your labour cost target.
- Mileage: Track your business mileage for a month and annualise. At 45p/mile HMRC rate, 200 miles/week = £4,680/year in allowable cost.
- Materials: Chemicals, cloths, pads, bags. Typically £600–£1,500/year for a sole trader domestic cleaner.
- Insurance: Public liability plus any other cover. Typically £150–£400/year.
- Software and admin: Invoicing, scheduling, accounting. Allow £300–£600/year.
- Phone and communication: Business proportion of phone bill. £200–£400/year.
- Training and equipment: Amortised over useful life.
Divide total annual costs by your billable hours per year (weeks worked × billable hours per week). That's your cost floor. Add a profit margin — at least 20% — and you have your minimum rate.
Total annual costs: £42,660
Working 48 weeks × 25 billable hours = 1,200 billable hours/year
Cost floor: £42,660 ÷ 1,200 = £35.55/hr
That means charging £15–£18/hr for a domestic clean is not just low — it is less than half your actual cost per billable hour. A realistic minimum rate for this scenario is £35–£40/hr, or a job rate equivalent.
How to raise prices without losing clients
The most common fear around pricing is client loss. In practice, the clients most resistant to price increases are often the ones that cost the most in other ways — time, admin, cancellations, or awkwardness. Nonetheless, a thoughtful approach to price increases reduces churn.
- Give six to eight weeks' notice for existing clients. This is respectful and professional. It also gives you time to fill slots if any clients do leave before your income drops.
- Frame the increase around your costs, not your decision. "The National Living Wage increased by 6.7% in April and my materials and insurance costs have risen. I'm updating my rates from [date]" is harder to argue with than "I've decided to charge more."
- Raise all clients at once, not one at a time. Selective increases create resentment if clients compare notes. A universal, well-communicated increase is cleaner.
- Set your new rate for new clients immediately. There is no reason to offer new clients the old rate while existing clients transition to the new one. New clients should pay the current rate from day one.
- Expect some attrition, and have a plan for it. A 10–15% client churn on a price increase is normal. If your rate increase improves your margin significantly, losing some lower-paying clients may actually improve your overall position — you work fewer hours for the same or more money.